Orphans
by CameoAmalthea
Summary: Rufus Shinra is 11 years old. When he runs away from home it can only mean trouble and winding up in the slums makes matters worse. However, a slum kid called Reno seems intent on being his friend and keeping him alive, at least until Rufus is kidnapped.
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: Any similarities to real people living or dead is entirely coincidental. Any allusions to Movies, TV, Musical Theater, or Literature or other forms of pop culture is entirely intentional. If you catch the allusions that's awesome! Let me know in your review, if you review. I also appreciate feedback and/or having mistakes pointed out so I can fix them.

Chapter 1

He was eleven years old. His mother's funeral had been yesterday, and tomorrow Rufus Shinra was expected to return to school. His father would not allow him time to grieve. Rufus doubted that his father understood what grief was, because the President certainly didn't seem like he was grieving. The man hadn't even come to his own wife's funeral.

Oh, he had made an appearance at the public memorial service, a spectacle to give the people a time and place to grieve for their "princess". However, President Shinra had insisted on a small private ceremony for the funeral itself: immediate family only. The memorial service was more tribute, a press field day where people who'd never known his mother cried their eyes out. At the funeral itself, no one cried. Rufus knew better than to cry where anyone could see, especially his father. Rufus had been so sure he'd come.

When he'd confronted his father about why he hadn't come, the old man had said something came up: an important meeting.

"Your mother's gone," his father had said. "But we're still here and the world is still turning with Shin-Ra at its center. We have to keep moving forward. I can not afford to appear weak or waste company time being sentimental. The same goes for you, Rufus. You'll have to grow up and learn eventually."

Rufus did learn. He learned that his father didn't love his mother and cared very little for him. At least that's how things seemed. Yes, his mother was gone, but he was there and he'd needed his dad. He had needed someone to stand beside in the graveyard outside the city, to stand with him in the rain when they'd lowered the coffin, lowered mom, into the ground. Tseng had been there beside him, holding an umbrella and Rufus's hand. The Turk held Rufus's hand, because the boy had needed a hand to hold and Rufus's father wasn't there. Rufus knew his father would have called it weakness, but holding Tseng's hand was all the boy could do to hold back tears.

Rufus's father had always been distant. The boy could count on one hand the number of times he'd gotten to see his father growing up. Their father/son talks had always seemed like an interview, like Rufus had to impress his father, had to prove he was worthy of being his son. Even when he was five years old, Rufus had tried his best to seem clever and attentive, to be the son his father wanted, to earn the old man's respect. Often, the only thing he earned was mocking and scorn. Rufus had learned to take such things as a challenge so they wouldn't get to him.

As he had grown older, Rufus had rationalized his father's behavior as tough love. Now, Rufus knew he had been wrong. His father didn't care about him. His mother had. She had been the very opposite of father. While he wore dark red, like blood, Mother had always worn white, and her hair was such a light blond that she seemed like a snow flake, shining and delicate. Her radiance really was like sunshine on fresh snow, bright and clean. But she was warm too, and soft, in every way: her touch, her smile, her lips against his cheek when she said good night. While his father loved power and money, she loved life and her son, Rufus.

Now she was gone.

"My mother's dead and I don't have a father," Rufus spat. "I'm an orphan!" There was no one to hear his rant, except for whoever was watching the hidden cameras he was sure were on him 24/7. Security aside, Rufus was alone in his room. He'd locked himself in and wasn't going to come out until he left for school.

He knew he was being childish. Furthermore, he knew his father didn't care if he locked himself in his room. His father didn't care about him and couldn't wait to send him back to boarding school, on the other side of the continent!

Rufus flopped backwards onto his bed.

Orphans had it better off, he decided. It was better not to have parents than to have a father who refused to be your dad when you needed him.

"Ugh!" Rufus groaned. The room felt too small. He wished he could start running and never stop. Oh, he'd run away if he could. That would teach his old man. Rufus bet his dad would miss him if he were really gone. Except, escape was impossible. The Shinra penthouse was at the top of the highest building in Midgar, Rufus wasn't allowed anywhere without an a highly trained armed escort, and then there were the security cameras.

Well, it could always be challenge. See how far he'd get. Maybe he could even get his father's attention.

Hacking into the security grid wasn't as difficult as Rufus had expected. He'd been taking computer classes since he was six years old and had excelled in them. The real problem was what to do. If the cameras went off, security would come running, and the building might even go into lock down. Of course, looping the camera's footage might buy him some time, and he might even use security's response to his advantage.

So it was that at five o'clock that afternoon the camera began to loop the footage of Rufus's room. Twenty minutes later, the camera cut out. Some Turks scrambled to get the feed back while others rushed to Rufus's room. At the same time, Rufus scrambled out of the laundry cart he'd hid himself in to get down to a lower level, and in short order, rushed across the lobby of the Shin-Ra building.

Rufus ran full force through the crowded streets of upper plate Midgar. The day was bright. The storm that had blown through the day before had cleared the air; so today the skies were clear. More people were out than usual, enjoying the sunny weather as they walked the golden cobble stone streets amid pristine buildings.

To Rufus, the crowds were all the better. He raced around corners and shoved his way through pedestrians, using his size to his advantage. Rufus had always been small for his age, and at 11 years old he had yet to hit the growth spurt puberty would bring. He squeezed through the throngs of pedestrians, all but disappearing into the mass of people.

Not that this would stop the Turks from finding him. Rufus knew he was already being followed. He didn't think his father would be above letting them tranq him. It would be the easiest way to subdue him without much of a scene.

He wasn't sure how long he'd been running, or how far he'd gotten when he saw the men in dark suits pushing their way through the busy streets to get to him. Rufus picked up his pace, but he knew he wouldn't be able to outrun them. Blue eyes darted, searching for some place to hide, some way to escape. That's when he saw it: an open manhole for maintenance beneath the plate.

Rufus darted for the opening. His clothes were going to be filthy after this, but he didn't care. He wasn't going to be dragged back that easy. He'd just go far enough down to get out of sight until the Turks moved on. Rufus began the climb down the wires and columns that connected the upper plate to the lower; hand over hand, as fast as he dared.

Too fast-! His foot slipped and so did he. Rufus tried to catch himself but one hand wasn't enough to keep himself up. Rufus fell.


	2. Chapter 2

**Ok, for anyone actually playing the spot the references game, last chapters reference was to the Olsen Twins movie "It Takes Two" which I liked a lot as a kid. It's a prince and the popper story with one twin playing an orphan and the other the daughter of an incredibly rich CEO. The switch up happens on the side of the rich girl when she runs away during a tantrum (she's angry at her dad because he plans to remarry). During the tantrum she declares "My mother's dead and I don't have a father. I'm an orphan!" I thought giving the phrase to Rufus fit because he really does feel fatherless, and because it's very ironic that Rufus has no idea how lucky he is, or how bad other people have it.**

**To anyone interested in playing the spot the references game, this chapter has 3 references.**

Chapter 2

The next thing he remembered was waking up, and finding that he couldn't scream. His mouth was open, but no sound came out, not even a whimper. Was this death? Then the air returned to his lungs along with pain, and he let out a cry.

"Guess that means he'll live," said one of the bystanders. Rufus looked up see a crowd of people had gathered around him as he lay in a pile of squashed vegetables in the remains of a fruit cart.

"Who cares if he lives? What about my cart? What about my cabbages!" Snapped a portly man whose face was as red as the tomatoes Rufus had crushed.

"Lighten' up. S'not everyday it rains kids," Said a red-headed boy.

"Where did he fall from?" Asked a woman.

"Probably trying to climb out to upper plate," Another speculated with an air of annoyance. "Kids these days."

Rufus sat up, and winced in pain. How long had he been unconscious? It seemed too dark to still be day. What light there was looked artificial - the sickening green glow of mako electricity - but even that was muted. Everything was grim and dirty. Then he looked up. There was no sky above him, just the plate.

He'd fallen into the lower plate. A crowd had gathered around him, all dressed in rags and filth, as dirty as the world around him. Most looked surprised, except for the vendor, who looked stunned, an expression which soon shifted to anger. The vendor grabbed Rufus by the hair and hauled him to his feet.

"All right, you little shit," he spat. "How you going to pay for that?"

"Get your hands off of me!" shouted Rufus. "I demand you let me go at once!"

"Who the hell do you think you are?" he asked. "Yeah, I'll let you go once you pay for the damage you caused, or I'll I swear I'll take it out of your hide."

"I... I...I'm Rufus ShinRa!" he cried. "If you let me go I can get you money from my father?"

"Rufus ShinRa?" asked the man. There was no mirth in his laughter. "Sure you are."

Rufus saw the redheaded boy help himself to the man's wallet though the man didn't notice. He carefully put it into his own pocket, but kept some Gil in hand.

"Oh come on," the redhead drawled. "Look, I know the kid. He's nuts. One too many hits to the head fallin' off of stuff, yo. Don't be so hard on him, it's not his fault. Look, how 'bout this, I'll give you thirty Gid? You know he ain't got no money, and beatin' him won't help you fix your cart."

The man snatched the money from the redhead and shoved Rufus toward him. He grabbed Rufus' hand and pulled him along. "Get ready to run," he whispered.

A moment later the man noticed his wallet was missing. He turned towards them. "You little street rats!" He cried, "They stole my wallet!"

Rufus ram alongside the redhead, weaving through crowds, and ducking around the rusted shacks that passed for buildings in the slums. The red-haired boy easily scrambled over a fence, then swung back over to give Rufus a hand. Once they were over, and a few blocks down, they stopped.

The redhead grinned at him. "That was pretty good," he said. He removed the wallet from his pocket and counted up its' contents. "You made a pretty good diversion, yo. Consider the Gil I gave him to let you go your share. No need to thank me."

"I had no intention of thanking you," said Rufus. "I had the situation under control."

"Not from where I'm standing," scoffed the boy.

"Then move," said Rufus. He moved to walk past the boy, but winced in pain.

"Think you mighta broke something in the fall, yo?" asked the redhead. He sighed and shook his head. "You know, I'm not usually in the business of being nice, but here." He fished into his pocket and handed Rufus a potion. "Got if off a monster I killed, it'll heal you." Rufus looked at him. He'd given the boy no reason to be nice to him. The street urchin didn't know -or at least didn't believe -who Rufus was, so why was he helping him? "Go on," he said. "Take it. I wasn't gonna fence it anyway, thought it'd be useful to have on me in case of something, and you count as something right?"

Rufus nodded, and took the potion, downing it in one gulp. Immediately his pain ceased. Rufus let out a sigh. "Thank you," he said.

"Consider yourself welcome," said the boy. "Anyone with the guts to climb to upper plate is ok in my book. The name's Reno."

"Well, actually I was climbing down from upper plate," admitted Rufus.

"What? Why would anyone want to do that?" he asked. "Wait, you weren't serious about all that ShinRa stuff...Were you?"

Rufus' silence was all Reno needed. Reno grabbed him by the wrist and pulled Rufus' hand forward to look at it.

"What are you doing?" asked Rufus.

"Seeing something," said Reno. He touched Rufus' hand. "Well you're certainly not from the slums. Not with hands like these. You've never done a day's work in your life."

"I most certainly have!" said Rufus. He pulled free of Reno's grasp and crossed his arms. "I work very hard at school."

Reno just laughed. "I mean real work."

"And I suppose you consider theft real work?" Rufus retorted.

The redhead just shrugged. "You gotta pick a pocket or two, kid. It ain't easy to get by down here."

Rufus nodded. "I'm sorry," he said. "I didn't mean to sound-"

"Don't worry about it," said Reno. "Come on," he waved his hand for Rufus to follow. I figure you ain't got a place to stay, and trust me; A kid like you don't need to be wandering around here at night. You'd get killed. Anyone who took the time to look would see you don't belong around here. You're too shiny."

"Shiny?" asked Rufus. Reno had already begun to walk away, so Rufus was forced to keep up with him if he wanted the conversation to continue.

"Like somethin' new that hasn't been all scuffed up and broken yet," said Reno. Although the redhead spared a glance at Rufus, he kept walking all the while. "You're all pretty boy, soft. Clothes are dirty, but nicer than anything I'll ever have. And those eyes, you don't look like a slum rat. You've never been hungry, or hurt, or scared for your life. 'Cept maybe for that fall. Which by the way, proves you can't look out for yourself. Don't know if they told you this in your world, but jumping off really high places tends to get you killed, yo."

"I didn't jump, I slipped," said Rufus.

"My point exactly," said Reno. They turned a corner, and made their way down an alleyway.

"And why exactly are you so keen on looking out for me?" asked Rufus. "Do you think you'll get some sort of reward if you take me back? Because I don't want to go back, and I don't need people pretending to be my friend." Why was he still following Reno anyway?

"You really think I believe you're Rufus Shinra?" asked Reno. He laughed again, and shook his head. "I know you're a top-sider, but that don't make you royalty. And I don't think you're gonna give me nothin' for helping you out. The only thing your gonna get me is more trouble than I need. All the same, I don't like the idea of you ending up dead or worse."


	3. Chapter 3

**Note: Thank you to everyone who commented. To those of you who played the spot the reference game, thanks for playing! The references were: Oliver, Disney's Aladdin, and Avatar: The Last Airbender. If you want to keep playing there are a couple tiny references in this chapter. Congrats to Darkened-Skys and Aeriths-Rain for getting references! You're awesome. **

**Oh and to Katakana. Thank you for reading, liking the fic and taking the time to review. But, um, this is fanfic so people write about established characters and make inferences about who they are/how they act based on what's canon. It's canon that Reno has done things that are cocky and idiotic (he's not an idiot, Turks have to be smart, but he's done dumb things especially in Advent Children), it's also canon that he drinks. Although we don't know who anyone in this game is sleeping with aside from a few canon couples, it fits Reno's personality to be a womanizer. We don't know for sure. He could be straight, bi, gay, monogamous, celibate or promiscuous. But it's not invalid to portray him as a womanizer. As for Rufus, in canon he has done things that are ignorant, cruel and bastardly. So most fanfics show them as they are, this fanfic shows them as they might have been circa age 12. So no drinking or womanizing at this age for Reno (although he's kind of cocky and could come across as idiotic just given his manner of speech) and Rufus isn't yet the person he grows up to be. I.E. the person who funded terrorists to attack his own company in order to kill his own father and later went on to rule said company which was literally destroying the planet. Also, what's with the no more yaoi comment. ((Duh, this fic isn't yaoi, it's about 12 yrs olds. Yeah 12 yr olds do date in real life, I peck kissed a boy at age 12 at the playground in the YMCA, but I am not going to write ANY sort of romance about 12 yr olds het or otherwise)) For the record though none of my FF7 fics are yaoi at this time, I do like yaoi and everyone is entitled to like whatever they want pairing wise.**

Chapter 3

"Why do you care?" asked Rufus. He wished Reno would stop. He wasn't even sure he wanted to go with him, but he didn't want to be left behind either. Rufus wanted an explanation.

"I wasn't joking about the _killed_ part," said Reno. "I might not be the nicest guy, or even a good guy, but I don't want to see you get killed. Yeah, bad things happen. Sometimes people got it comin' to 'em, and sometimes they don't, but you. You're just too shiny. That and you make a good distraction. A face like that, people will trust you before they'd trust me. You and me, we could be partners. Just stick with me, and I can teach you everything you need to know. I've got what they call street savoir faire, yo." He motioned to a ladder on the side of one of the buildings, indicating for Rufus to climb up.

"Know how," said Rufus. He continued to follow Reno. He could always leave if he wanted, after all.

"Yeah, as in knowing how to survive," said Reno. He turned to offer Rufus a hand up as he climbed onto the roof. "You said you don't wanna go home. I figure if you're down here you've got a reason to be, or there's no place you wanna go back to. So I'm saying stick with me." He gave Rufus a smile, then headed to a small shack that sat on the roof, he pulled the door open for Rufus. "As for being friends. If you really are Rufus ShinRa there's no way you'd be friends with someone like me."

"No," said Rufus. "I couldn't be your friend."

"Not good enough for you?" asked Reno; he didn't seem to mind. It was just one of those things.

"It's not that," said Rufus, "I can't be friends with you. My father wouldn't allow it. We'd get in trouble. I don't have any real friends. Most of the boys at school only want to be my friend because of who my father is. Arranged friendships. It's less about making friends so much as making alliances."

"So it's like a gang?" asked Reno.

"No," said Rufus. "It's..." Rufus stopped himself. He had stepped into Reno's home, or what appeared to be his home. A few vermin scattered and disappeared as Rufus stepped inside. He fought the urge to be sick. The place was little more than a shack with bits of furniture that looked like they'd been salvaged from the garbage, and a collection of various odds and ends from what looked like a collection of spare parts to random knick knacks. Probably things Reno had stolen, or found, most likely stolen.

"Yeah, I know," said Reno. "The place is a mess. I'm always getting stuff, haven't managed to fence much lately, but after I manage to get something running it'll be worth it."

"No, I was just," Rufus sighed. "I must sound like such a-"

"Spoiled rich kid?" supplied Reno.

"You probably don't think I have any room to complain."

"Everyone has room to complain," said Reno. "You had to have run away for a reason, right?"

"My father," said Rufus. "Well, really it's because of my mother. She died about a week ago." Rufus closed his eyes. He would not cry. Not in front of anyone, not ever. "My father doesn't even seem to care, and I don't think he cares about me either. I'm just another one of his things." Rufus' fists clenched.

"Hey," said Reno. His voice was gentler than Rufus thought possible from someone like him. "I'm not gonna say it's gonna be ok. 'Cause I know what it's like, losing a mom, and it hurts."

"Yours too?" asked Rufus.

"Yeah," Reno said. "Few years back. I was about nine. Never had a father, he took off as soon he found out he'd knocked her up. She did the best she could for me, yo, but you know how things are. Or, I guess you don't, but you can guess. Never had much, then when she died I had nothin'. Figure squattin's a cheap way to get by until I'm old enough to rent for myself. 'Til then I'll save money. Gotta be careful though. I don't want to go into the system, who knows where they'd put me. Probably jail with what I've done."

"How old are you?" asked Rufus. Reno was taller than Rufus by a head, but the boy didn't look too much older. However, he did seem older; or rather he seemed more grown up in some ways.

"Almost thirteen," said Reno. "Well a few months off, my birthday's in January. What about you?"

"I'll be twelve at the end of November," said Rufus.

"Right," said Reno. "They said you were eleven on the TV."

"Huh?"

"Well, it's been all over the news, about Lady Shinra getting killed. TV, papers, radio. Most places had coverage of the ceremony - the memorial or whatever. Caught some of it."

"So you believe me now?" asked Rufus.

"Well, I don't know you well enough to say if you're a good actor or not. You might be, if you're anything like me, and I think we might have more in common than you'd think. But all the same, I'm the sort of person who knows when something's an act and when it's the truth. When you started about your mom; that's not the kind of thing that can be faked. So what are the chances you just lost your mom too. Besides, you look like her. Same hair and eyes, she was shiny too. Her picture was all over the TV, y'know?"

"Yeah," said Rufus. "Everyone loved her. Except my father."

"Then he's an idiot," said Reno. "And if he don't love you he's an even bigger idiot. Come on, you managed to get out the Shin-Ra building, and they probably have someone watching you all the time, right? Then you survived a fall from upper plate. Your dad better watch out, you're gonna do things he never could. Things he wouldn't have the guts to do."

Rufus actually laughed. "So I take it you've given up on the idea of us staying together?"

"You have somewhere to go back to, kid," said Reno. "And even if you hate it, it's better than here, yo. I've been lucky, and survived the way hounds do, by being mean and being smart, and doing what it takes to survive."

"Do you think I'm too innocent to survive in your world, Reno?"

"No, kid, it's not that" he said.

"Could you please stop calling me kid," asked Rufus. "I'm not that much younger than you and it's getting on my nerves." Almost as much as Reno saying yo all the time. It made him sound utterly juvenile, not to mention moronic. Then again, Rufus supposed it was a slum thing, and Reno couldn't help it. So he'd let that slide, but he wouldn't abide the older boy being condescending.

"Sorry," said Reno. "Didn't mean nothing by it, yo. But you _are_ younger than me. So, what should I call you?" Reno laughed. "Mr. ShinRa? Sir?" He rolled his eyes. "No way, I don't work for you, yo. But I know you're not gonna let some slum rat call you by your first name, right?"

"I..." Reno had a point. Ordinarily someone like Reno wouldn't have been allowed to address him by first name. "Call me Rufus. Even if we can't really be friends, for now at least, there's no reason for formalities." He liked the idea of being Rufus to someone, instead of just a Shinra, instead of just the heir to the Shin-Ra Corporation.

"Rufus it is then," said Reno.

"So you were saying?" asked Rufus.

"I think you could make it," said Reno. "I just don't think anyone should have to if they have another option. Food and a safe place to rest, clothes to wear. People looking after you. Even if your dad's a jerk, I think you can manage. Besides, sooner or later those Turks of his will drag you back, conscious or not. It's what I would do. For your own good too. You're Rufus freakin' Shinra. You know how much you're worth? What people would pay, what people might do? You're not safe down here."

"Am I safe with you?" asked Rufus. He hadn't trusted anyone, save for his parents, for a long time. Everyone had a motive. Reno was a boy from the slums, a desperate boy who'd readily admitted to doing whatever it took.

"Practically saved your life once already, didn't I?" asked Reno. "I'll look out for you, kid, and I may be scum, but I'm not the sort of scum to turn on a friend. Well, if you and I _could_ be friends. I get why we can't."

"Someone like me doesn't have the luxury of having friends," said Rufus.

"You still need someone to look out for you," said Reno.

"I have a lot of people looking out for me, highly trained, very well paid people."

"Well, if you wanted to hire me…" said Reno. "I'm kidding. Look Rufus, right now, you're pretty all alone here and you haven't been very smart about this whole thing. Like shouting that you're Rufus Shinra? You're lucky no one took you seriously."

"I did," came a man's voice. The boys whirled to see a man standing in the door. Reno recognized him as one of Don Corneo's goons. Behind him stood three more men, all were armed.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

Two men trained guns on Rufus, the other two kept their attention, and weapons, on Reno. Reno put his hands up slowly, but Rufus stood his ground.

"What do you want with me?" asked Rufus. "And if I were you, I'd lower your weapons."

Then men laughed. "Don't act all high and mighty now," advised the leader. "You're in no position to give orders."

"Pfft, you can't do anything to me," scoffed Rufus.

"Uh, technically they can, yo," said Reno. "This sector belongs to Don Corneo."

"And Midgar belongs to Shin-Ra," said Rufus. "Do you know what my father will do to you?"

"Well daddy ain't here," said the man. "But he'll probably pay a pretty gil to get you back in one piece. Now get moving, and don't try nothing."

Rufus looked to Reno: the boy who had said he'd look out for him. Reno just stood there, hands up. One of the men noticed Rufus's gaze.

"You aren't going to do anything stupid, are you?" he asked Reno.

"No," Reno said, shaking his head. "I'm not doing anything. Take him, just don't hurt me."

It stung more than it should have. Rufus should have known better than to take Reno at his word. There was a reason he didn't make friends, no one would ever be honest with him. Reno looked out for himself. Even if he really had wanted to help Rufus, when it was a choice between helping some spoiled brat he'd just met and saving his own skin, the choice was obvious. Rufus shouldn't have expected any better.

But he had, and it hurt.

The man ordered him to get moving, and Rufus went without a fight. He had no intention of being shot by one of these imbeciles, and wasn't afraid to go with them. The men wanted him alive, and he was sure his father would resolve the situation once these lowlifes made their demands. Whether his father resolved the situation by paying them, or having them killed and Rufus rescued, made little difference to Rufus.

They took him to their car a few blocks down and forced him inside. The drive was short. When the car stopped Rufus was dragged into a large mansion. The place was more opulent than he'd thought possible in the slums, but it was the gaudy sort of opulence that suggested that the master of this house had plenty of money but very little taste. Large paintings in garish golden frames adorned the walls. The smell of cigar smoke, and perfume hung heavy in the air.

Rufus was led into a large thrown room. In the center sat a portly blond man, his receding hair was slicked back; in fact everything about him seemed greasy. The sort of person who dripped filth, from his cheap clothes to the way he wore his shirt unbuttoned to show his chest hair. He was surrounded by a harem of scantily clad women. On of the girls was chained to the throne by a gold linked leash. The man looked up from his glass of wine when Rufus was brought in.

"Frankie," he asked. "'What the hell is this?" He picked up his cigar from the ash tray and took a long drag.

"Don Corneo, with respect, this is Rufus Shinra," said the leader. "Heir to Shin-Ra, and worth a fortune in ransom."

Rufus sneered at the Don.

"You kidnapped Rufus Shinra?" asked Don Corneo, the cigar nearly fell out of his mouth.

The man nodded. "Quite a job to pull off, ain't it boss?" he asked. Frankie was more than willing to allow his boss to assume more of him than was strictly true.

"You're an idiot!" screamed Don Corneo, slamming his fist down on the arm of his chair. "Do you know what old man Shinra would do to us if he found out we took his kid? Do you even know how this works. I'll tell you how it works! See we've got a pretty nice set up going on. If somethin's goin' on down here that Shinra wouldn't like, we let 'em know. In return, we rule the slums and Shinra lets us go about our business and even gives us a little extra for our services. It's a nice arrangement, the kind of arrangement I don't want to get messed up by say doing something to piss off Shinra. Something like kidnapping his fucking son!"

"What?" cried Rufus. This scum was in his father's employ? How could his father do something like this. Shin-Ra was supposed to make a better world. They should crush vermin like this, not let it flourish under their protection!

"I...uh," Frankie stammered. "So we should give him back?"

"No! Are you even listening to me?" screamed the Don. "Shinra can't know we had anything to do with this. Get rid him."

Rufus stilled, get rid of him could have very bad connotations.

"When you say get rid of," said Frankie. "Do you mean just let him go, or bump him off and dump the body somewhere it won't be found."

"If you do anything to me my father will find out, and have all your heads!" screamed Rufus.

Don Corneo laughed. "You've got a point there," he said. "Thing is, if I let you go what's to keep you from running your pretty little mouth off to daddy?"

"I wasn't kidnapped," said Rufus. "I ran away of my own accord."

"Heh, yeah, nice story, but I don't think that's what you'll tell daddy, and I can't have you telling him to get back at me for this. So what to do with you? I need you gone, but dead doesn't always mean gone. People, especially Shinra people, have ways of finding out things."

"Oh don't hurt him," one of the girls spoke up. Her voice was practically cooing; she looked at Rufus like he was some lost puppy. "He's just a little boy."

Don Corneo glared at the woman. "I don't keep you bitches for your opinions! Out of here, all of you," the Don snapped. He unhooked the chain from his thrown so the leashed girl could leave with the others. They got to their feet and headed out of the room. Once they were gone, Don Corneo smiled. "Well, the broad did have a point, he is just a little boy. A pretty little boy," said Corneo. "As pretty as a girl with those big blue eyes. It's not my taste, but there's plenty of men who'd pay for that. We sell him to Alvise, don't tell him who the kid is, no one's gonna believe he's Rufus Shinra. With any luck he'll ship the kid off to Wutai, and even if he stays in Midgar he'll end up dead soon enough. Delicate little thing like that."

Rufus bristled at being called delicate. He wasn't sure if he more furious or frightened by what the Don had in mind for him. They couldn't be serious.

"But boss, if Shinra found out-" began on of the thugs.

"Just answer me this. What do you do when you have merchandise you need to get off your hands?" said Don Corneo. "You move the merchandise. We sell the boy and he'll disappear. We even get to make a profit from Frankie's lapse in judgement. However, you know this is my home. My home is for pleasure, not business. So take the kid to one of the warehouses then make the call to Alvise."

"Right boss," said Frankie. "I know just the place."

**Note:**

**I'm sorry if the content of this chapter bothers anyone. I don't want to make light of human trafficking. It is a serious issue, a real world one which we should all work to fight. I do not mean to trivialize human trafficking by mentioning it here. It's canon that Don Corneo keeps sex slaves, he kidnaps Yuffie and Elena for this purpose, so I find it completely in character for him to sell an 11 year old boy into prostitution. It's supposed to be unsettling, and Don Corneo is supposed to come off as pretty evil. **

**As for Reno not being very helpful. He's an unarmed 12 year old, they're four men with guns. What could he do? **  
**Oh and reference game, last chapter was Disney's Aladdin once again with the location of Reno's home, and Oliver and Company with the line about street savoir faire. **


	5. Chapter 5

**Thanks for the comments everyone! And for those playing the game, last chapter was Start Wars with mobster with a girl on a leash, and The Lion King, with young Prince in danger saying "Pfft, you can't do anything to me."**

**No references in this chapter, and I'm sorry this chapter is so short. It's just that the suspense if terrible. I hope it lasts. **

Chapter 5

Rufus Shinra had never been afraid before, not like this. As a child if he'd imagined monsters in the shadows of his bedroom he'd ignore any worry because he knew nothing could hurt him. More importantly, he knew his father wouldn't like it if he acted like a coward, even if he was just three years old.

His short life had been free of real worries. He was protected 24/7 by bodyguards, security cameras, and Turks, when he wasn't at school. At school there weren't any dangers either. All his life Rufus had been safe, assured in the fact no one could touch him. That no one let anything happen to him.

Now he was in trouble, real trouble, and there was no one there to save him, and no way out. No one knew where he was. No one would rescue him before he was sold, and after that it would be too late. No one would ever find him then, and Rufus knew the kinds of things they'd do to him.

However, Rufus was still a Shinra, and a Shinra could not show the slightest sign of weakness, a Shinra could not cry. Rufus wouldn't let these men see he was afraid; he wouldn't give them the satisfaction. All the same, he didn't resist when the took him to their car again. Rufus knew if he resisted they'd shoot him. As bad as things were, Rufus wasn't ready to die yet. As long as he was alive, there was hope.

They reached their destination, a large warehouse, and dragged Rufus inside. Once they'd entered the warehouse they were greeted by the sound of barks. Rufus must have jumped despite himself.

"Don't worry," said one of the men, "the dogs are caged and chained."

As they got further in, Rufus saw that the animals were Guard Hounds. Huge canines, they were black or grey, fur short but sleep. Their faces were rectangular, their large ears pointed, which gave their face an almost bat-like quality. Their tails were short and, as if to make up for this, each hound had a long whiplike appendage growing from its back.

The hounds were indeed, both caged and leashed with heavy iron chains that would probably be too heavy for most animals to drag. He looked at the animals. Rufus knew the purpose of the chains at once, to build strength.

"Guard Hound fighting?" he asked. He could tell from the scars on the animal's faces what these animals were used for.

"Yeah," said one of the men. "Thousands of gil a night are bet at the show, and it brings in a lot of other business."

Rufus had read a report on such things. A while ago a certain celebrity was caught hound fighting and the papers were filled with articles on the brutal practice. The fights meant illegal high-stakes gambling, and along with that came criminal activities like money laundering and racketeering. The drug trade flourished in hound fighting dens as the fights became giant venues for making deals.

"Hey, Frankie, what are you doing here?" asked a man. Another of the Don's crew who worked at this warehouse.

"Making a deal out of here," said Frankie. "Selling a brat to Alvise, got any place we can stash him?"

"No empty cages," he said, "but there's a bitch we can get rid of. Pups were all still born except for one. Been nursing the thing about a month, but it's old enough. We might as well use the bitch as bait. No way she's having another litter."

Rufus recognized the term. To train the hounds to kill they'd start them on 'bait' animals. Usually rabbits or cats, often stolen pets. Sometimes other dogs with their mouth's taped shut so they couldn't bite back as they were torn apart.

The man led them to a cage. He looped a noose like lease around the Guard Hound's neck and dragged it away. The pup, a small wiggling bundle of black fur, immediately began to whine for it's mother.

Frankie leveled his gun at the puppy. "Care if I shoot the runt?" he asked.

"No don't!" cried Rufus.

This got a laugh from the men. "All right then," said Frankie. "You keep it company and keep it quiet 'til Alvise gets here." He shoved Rufus forward into the small cage and shut the door. "Maybe we can sell it to Alvise as a guard dog." The men laughed, and moved off.

Rufus looked back as they left, probably to find somewhere comfortable to wait for Alvise after they made the call. The puppy jumped up on Rufus and rested its front paws against his leg, triangular ears flopping over its square face. He picked up the whimpering pup and held it against himself as he sank down, knees pulled close to his chest. The puppy quieted, then began to lick at his face as its tentacle like appendage wagged happily.

He managed a weak smile at the Guard Hound. They were both doomed, but at least he wasn't alone here. The puppy was warm against his chest, and just having this tiny wiggling ball of fur was enough to give Rufus comfort, despite everything.

Time slipped by, and Rufus tried not to think about what was going to happen. Tried not to panic and think again and again. I'm going to die. I'm going to die. Tried to keep words like rape and pedophiles, along with the images that those words conjured, out of his mind. Then he heard foot steps. His time was up.


	6. Chapter 6

**Ok, I need a Beta reader if anyone wants to volunteer. I'd like to have one who knows the characters I tend to write in FF7, mostly Rufus and those close to him. Because I think my irl friends are getting tired of me saying "hey read this"**

Chapter 6

Rufus wiped his eyes in case there was any trace of tears, then looked up. He'd expected to see then men, but instead saw the redhaired boy he met earlier working to get the lock on his cell undone.

"Reno!" Rufus cried. He got to his feet, and moved to the front of the cell. "How did you-"

"Shh," hissed Reno, "keep your voice down."

Rufus nodded. He put a hand on the bars, and held the pup in one arm. He saw Reno had stuck something in the lock, like a oddly shaped nail file. The lock pick was one of many that flipped out what looked like a pocket knife, but clearly wasn't.

"You're picking the lock?" asked Rufus.

"Duh, what's it look like?" He kept his voice low so as not to be over heard. All the same his words dripped sarcasm. However, at the moment Rufus didn't mind at all. All that mattered was that Reno was here.

"You came back for me!" he said, careful to keep his voice low despite his enthusiam. Reno didn't have to do this, but he had anyway. He really cared about Rufus after all, even though he had no reason to. It certainly wasn't in Reno's interest to risk a rescue like this.

"Well, yeah," said Reno. "I said I'd look after you, yo. Couldn't do that very well if I let them shoot me back there, but I've been tailing you the whole time. I'm good like that. I've got a tone of useful skills, yo. Including..." Reno let his tongue stick out as he concentrated, moving the lock pick ever so slightly. "...lock picking." There was a click, and the door slid opened.

Reno grinned and gestured to Rufus. They needed to get out of here, and fast. If the men caught them Rufus would be right back where he was, and Reno would be as good as dead.

The puppy still in his arms, Rufus ran along side Reno. Together they raced down the rows of cages and stacks of boxes which filled the dim warehouse. Rufus saw the reflection of overhead lights on the concrete floor in front of him, dull green squares that seemed to get farther away the closer you got to them. In reality, it was only the next reflection coming into view, but the illusion made their run seem endless. Or perhaps, thought Rufus as he ran, time just moved at slower when you were frightened, and the fastest you could run wasn't fast enough.

They didn't get far before their escape was discovered.

"What the fuck!" shouted one of the thugs. The cage door slammed, and the clatter echoed along with the men's heavy footsteps.

"He's getting away!" cried another. "After him!"

They ran after the boys. Rufus didn't dare to look back, not even for a moment, lest he lose his footing. All that mattered was moving forward, as fast as he could, because they were coming: the Don's men, guns in hand. The men wanted Rufus alive, so they probably wouldn't open fire, but that was little comfort now.

All Rufus could do was run, pushing himself faster than he'd ever gone, Reno at his side. They'd get to the door soon. Rufus focused on that. The door, just get to the door. Once they were out of here, Reno might know the streets well enough for them to escape.

As they ran, the caged hounds barked and snarled, but Rufus and Reno just kept moving. Reno grabbed Rufus's hand, and pulled him around a corner. The door was right in front of them, a straight shot and they were out.

The boys sprinted forward. Freedom was within their reach. Even though night had fallen outside, this was the proverbial light at the end of the tunnel.

"Cut 'em off!" Came a shout.

"Move it!" another called.

From both sides of the door more goons came running.

It wasn't even a race, the men reached the doors before Reno and Rufus could realize what had happened, then turned to face the oncoming boys. Reno and Rufus slid to a stop, nearly toppling over as they did. Their only exit was now bocked. They looked back in unison. Looked back the way they came. Looked for somewhere to run, some way to escape.

The men who'd been in pursuit were closing in on them from behind, still running full force towards the children. There was no way forward, and no way back.

The men blocking the door leveled their weapons at the boys. They were utterly trapped. It was over.

"End of the line, brats," shouted man directly in front of the door. "You move an inch and you're dead!"

The door burst open and shots rang out, loud despite the silencers on the guns. The men blocking the door drooped. Some just fell, others sank to their knees before falling foward. As one of them crumbled to the floor his bag spilled open scattering it's contents, including a few Materia. All of them men were dead in an instant; behind them stood the Turks who'd ended their lives.

The boys stood stunned for a moment. Rufus had never seen anyone killed before, there was so much more blood than in those movies he wasn't supposed to watch. All the same, shock soon gave way to relief. The Turks were here. He was safe now, all he had to do was get to them and he was as good as home.

Rufus moved forward, but a heavy hand yanked him backwards.

"Not so fast," Frankie crowed. He'd been in pursuit, and wasn't going to let Rufus get away that easy. Rufus cried out in surprise and dropped the puppy, which fell to the floor with a yelp.

Frankie's left arm shot around Rufus's torso and clutched the boy against his chest. His right hand pressed the gun to Rufus's sweat drenched temple.

"All right!" yelled Frankie. "Back the fuck off or I'll blast his brain's all over the concrete."

Rufus's heart felt like it might burst from his chest if it beat any harder. He could feel the cold steel of the gun as it dug into his skin. What could the Turks do? The Turks had to know that if they made one wrong move and Rufus would die. All the same Rufus looked to them; wide blue eyes pleaded for them to save him.

Reno picked up one of the materia that had spilled onto the floor. "Hey, mister!" he shouted. "Heads up!" He chucked the glass ball straight at the man's head. Instinctively, the man's hand shot up to shield his face: the gun was no longer at Rufus's head.

That was all Rufus needed, he elbowed the man hard in the groin. Frankie gasped breathlesslly, a falsetto groan of pain. The man doubled over, arm slamming downward. The side of the fire arm grazed Rufus's face, scraping him. But the man had let go, Rufus was free to run.

Rufus ignored the pain and made for the door.

A shot rang out.

"Rufus!" Reno screamed his name, and pushed him down.

Rufus fell forward,and Reno fell on top of him, howling in agony. Reno's blood spilled onto Rufus.

Reno had been shot.

One of the Turks, a large black man who looked no more than sixteen hauled them both up and urged them toward the waiting car. The Turk flung the door open and all but threw Rufus inside, shoving Reno after him. The door was slammed shut, and the car sped off the moment they were in. Veld was waiting in the backseat; Rufus saw Tseng in the drivers seat.

"Rufus," said Veld. "How badly were you hurt?" He dug into his jacket for a potion, then thrust it towards the boy before Rufus could answer.

In truth, Rufus didn't have words to answer. His face burned from the scrape, and he drank the potion without a second thought. He then looked to boy who'd saved him. Reno was covered in blood from the oozing wound on his shoulder.

"Please help him," Rufus didn't beg, but his tone showed more desperation then than ever. "He saved my life, you have to help him!"

"But who is he?" asked Veld.

"My friend," said Rufus.

Veld reached into his jacket and pulled out a vial of Elixir.

**No references in this chapter either, unless referencing Advent Children counts. There will be a reference in the next chapter. I like referencing other works for fun, but plot comes first. For those of you wondering how the Turks got there **

**Explanation A) They found where Rufus crawled down after deducing that was the only place he could have gone and or pulling security footage if any existed. Then figured out that he fell, and where he fell. Since the marketplace was in a bit of an uproar and a venders cart was destroyed it was easy to find out where he fell and witnesses who could tell them what happened/where Rufus went. After all a kid falls out the air, crushes a cart, then screams he's Rufus Shinra tends to get noticed. Someone told him he left with Reno and described Reno. The Turks caught up Reno while he was tailing Rufus. They noticed he was tailing someone, and decided to find out who by following Reno on the hunch it might lead them to Rufus and because stopping Reno to question him could cause him to lose whoever he was following, and if that person did have Rufus (since Rufus clearly wasn't with Reno anymore) the Turks didn't want to lose them. When Reno entered the warehouse, the Turks stopped to report back/formulate a plan to move in, but stormed in when they heard the men threatening "brats". **

**or**

**Explanation B) Turks are just really good at showing up at the exact moment Rufus needs them.**

**Also, Reno's throwing the materia at the guy and why he did it in case that came across as dumb. The materia was on hand. The man's hand was steady, he wasn't twitchy, so unlikely to shoot accidentally. When something is thrown at your face, you tend to move your dominant to protect your face. The same hand you use to hold a gun. So Reno gambled on the fact the man would move to block the materia and not pull the trigger. **


	7. Chapter 7

**Thanks to everyone who reviewed and to my betas. Although I have to say, a kid gets shot and everyone says, what about the puppy?**

Chapter 7

The next morning, Rufus was summoned to his father's office. He'd been surprised his father didn't want to see him as soon as they got back. Wasn't he worried? At that moment, all Rufus had wanted was to throw himself into his father's arms. He had nearly died, and this brush with his own mortality had left him shaken.

Veld had taken Reno for questioning, and Tseng had escorted Rufus to his room. When they'd arrived, Rufus had asked in a voice that had revealed far too much of his feelings. "Doesn't he want to see me?"

"He'll see you in the morning," Tseng had said. He'd been angrier than Rufus had ever seen him. "And I expect you will have to answer for running away. Do you have any idea how much trouble you caused? How many people we had to pull from their duties to look for you? What could have happened if we hadn't found you in time!"

"I...I..." He wouldn't cry, he couldn't. Rufus looked down, unable to meet Tseng's gaze for fear the Turk would see the tears the had boy fought to keep back.

Then Tseng had sighed, and gotten down on one knee so he could speak to Rufus face to face. He' d put a hand on the boy's shoulder. "We were all worried."

Rufus had nodded. "I'm sorry, Tseng. Tell everyone I'm sorry. I...I wasn't thinking and nearly got myself ki-" He hadn't been able to bring himself to say the word and had clenched his eyes shut. The shock of it all hadn't sunk in.

"You're all right Rufus," Tseng had said. Rufus had opened his eyes to find that the Turk looked torn. Like he hadn't known what he should do. Both knew their place. Tseng could no more hug Rufus than Rufus could allow himself to accept such an embrace. "That's what's important, and that you've learned. It's all right to make mistakes, but you must learn from them."

Rufus nodded, "Yes, Tseng, and thank you."

He arrived at his father's office fifteen minutes early. He was supposed to meet his father at nine o'clock in the morning, but arrived sooner due to nerves. Rufus knew he'd be in trouble but had no idea what to expect. His father had never hit him before. No one had ever laid a hand on him his entire life. At school the head master could hit boys who misbehaved with a paddle if their parents permitted, but of course his father wouldn't permit that. All the same, Rufus knew what he'd done was the sort of thing that would warrant being hit and his father was well within his rights to take a belt to Rufus's rear end for the worry he'd caused.

When the time came his father's secretary beckoned Rufus into his office. His father glared down at him from being his giant desk. Rufus felt so small then, but he held his head high.

"Rufus," his father began.

"I'm sorry!" Rufus blurted out. "I'm sorry I ran off. It was stupid and childish and I-"

"Stop," said the President. Rufus hadn't meant to talk back to his father, and fell silent. "You're a Shinra, and Shinras don't plead like scared children and never apologize. I don't care if your sorry, it doesn't mean anything. Actions are all that matter, boy. Actions! Saying sorry is for losers. Do you want to be a loser?"

"No, sir," said Rufus.

"Good,' said the President. "Rufus, I am glad you realize your stupidity, hopefully you won't do anything that stupid again."

"No sir," said Rufus. "I won't."

"You understand how important you are to this company, don't you, Rufus?" asked his father.

"To this company?" asked Rufus.

"Yes! To this company!" snapped his father. "Rufus, you are heir to the Shin-Ra Electric Power Company. A company that will one day rule this planet if I have anything to say about it. All this will be yours, all the money and all the power that goes with it. You are my heir, Rufus, once I'm gone it will be up to carry on my legacy and carry this company into the future. That is your responsibility! You are a Shinra and will be the Shin-Ra." He slammed his fist onto the desk with enough force to make it tremble.

Silence descended, until at last Rufus said, "Yes, sir. I understand."

"And do you understand, Rufus, that to be a Shinra means you are better and you must live up to that. You cannot afford to act like a child. Running off, and why Rufus? Why? There's not a thing in the world I haven't given you, everything money can buy? So tell me why were you so eager to run off? And to the slums of all places? Rufus, you know you can't associate with such filth, we're above that. They have nothing. They are meaningless. Would you really prefer a worthless existence to all that you have, all that I've given you?"

"No sir," he said. "I actually didn't intend to go to the slums. I just slipped under the plate to avoid the Turks."

"Oh?" asked the President. "Well you did manage that for a while. I read Veld's report on the incident, nice work getting out of the building. You're a very clever boy, just like me. However, I do hope you've learned from this little misadventure."

"I have sir," said Rufus.

The President nodded. "You're free to go. You'll return to school this afternoon, and resume classes tomorrow."

With that Rufus was dismissed. He returned to his room feeling much worse than if he had been hit. At least if his father had spanked him it meant that he cared and Rufus was almost certain physical pain would have been easier to take. Pain like that would hurt, but fade soon enough. However, Rufus was convinced that what he felt now would eat at him for a long time. His father hadn't seemed the least bit concerned about him.

How important you are to the company? Wasn't he important to his father? Didn't his father love him? He was heir to the Shin-Ra Electric Power Company and that made Rufus important, but didn't anyone care about him for his own sake? Tseng had said we were worried, but the Turks were paid to look after him because he was his father's son and heir. Reno had seemed to genuinely care about him, and had seemed to care less that he was a Shinra, but Rufus knew he'd never be permitted to see him again.

When he arrived at his room Reno was standing outside his door alongside Veld and the tall bald Turk who shoved them into car last night. Reno looked different. He was clean, for one thing and apparently, once washed, his hair was a brighter shade of red than Rufus would have thought possible. He was also dressed differently, instead of rags he wore the uniform of a Turk, albeit in a slovenly manner.

They turned when Rufus approached and nodded respectfully.

"Is there something you wanted?" asked Rufus. He did his best to hide both his surprise and his gladness at seeing Reno again.

"Reno here would like to speak with you for a moment, if that's all right with you," said Veld. "Afterwards, I have something I'd like to discuss."

"All right," said Rufus. Together, they ventured into his bedroom. Rufus shut the door behind them.

"I've got something for you, yo," said Reno. It was only then that Rufus noticed the box Reno was holding. As Rufus looked at it, it shook and began to whine. Rufus opened it, eyes wide with disbelief.

"Is it him?" he asked, scooping up the tiny puppy. It barked and began to lap at Rufus's face. Rufus grinned as only a child can, and let out a laugh.

"Sure is," said Reno. "Rude, he's the big guy out there, picked him up after the gun fight. He was going to bring him to an animal shelter, but I sorta thought you might want him. I mean, I suggested to Commander Veld that you should have him. He talked to your dad about it, Guard Hounds are super loyal and will die to protect their masters. They can do all sorts of stuff too, like cast Barrier if you're being attacked so anyone who wants to get at you has to go through them. I figured you need someone to look after you in case I'm not around to save you. I might be busy, seeing that I'm going to be a Turk and all." Reno couldn't have sounded more pleased with himself if he tried.

"You've been recruited then?" asked Rufus. He set the pup down, and it promptly stumbled over it's own two feet and flopped to the floor.

"Yeah," said Reno. "Well I'm a bit young, so formal training isn't supposed to be for another year but I can get a head start and go to school for now. Then Rude's gonna be like a mentor. Veld said since he likes to pick up strays he can have me. Says Rude and I might be partners one day."

"That's wonderful. I'm glad for you," said Rufus. "Truly, congratulations."

"Thanks," said Reno. "So I guess I'll be seeing you?"

"In passing," said Rufus. "You know what I said from the start."

"We can't be friends," said Reno.

"I don't want to seem ungrateful," said Rufus. "You saved my life, but I'm not going to pretend that-"

"All right, I get it," said Reno. "You're Rufus Shinra, and I'm a Turk so no calling you by name or acting buddy buddy, right? All the same, I will be seeing you around."

"I suppose you will" said Rufus. "When I return from school. Oh, but what am I going to do about the puppy while I'm gone?"

"Bring him with you?" suggested Reno.

"I'm certain it's against the rules."

"Screw the rules, you have money, power, a private army and the Turks. I don't think it's going to be a problem, you're Rufus Shinra."

Rufus chuckled. "Yes, I guess it does have some perks, doesn't it?"

Veld knocked on the door then let himself in. "I'm sorry to interrupt, but we have a busy day ahead of us," he said. "However, I'd like to discuss something with you, briefly. According to the information we've acquired you fell into a lower sector marketplace?"

"Yes, I climbed beneath the plate and lost my footing," said Rufus. "If you'd like I could give you a full report of what happened. Including details on Reno's actions. He saved me at least four times, you know? He's quite cunning, brave, and all together admirable. I fully recommend you keep him on."

"Oh, I plan to," said Veld. "I think he's going to go far with us. But at the moment I'm more concerned that, if it hadn't been for that vegetable cart, you might have died in that fall."

"Oh right, the cart," said Rufus. "Veld, could you please have someone see to it that someone writes a check to the vender. I'm afraid I ruined his cabbages and think it only right to pay for the damages."

"I will," he said. "But the issue is, you fell, and that shouldn't have happened. You'll be a lot easier to protect if you can look out for yourself. You're young, and strong. I'm sure with some training we'll be able to ensure that can hold on if a situation arises where holding might save your life. I also think being able to shoot a gun would serve you well."

"I can shoot a hunting rifle, and a double barreled shot gun," said Rufus. "One of the boys at school invited me to go hunting with him last fall."

"That's good," said Veld. "And you shoot well?"

"Very," said Rufus. "Although, I prefer shotguns."

"Do you think you could shoot a shotgun with one hand?" asked Veld.

Rufus shook his head. "You're joking?"

"No, I'm setting a goal," said Veld. "I want you to be strong enough to shoot a shotgun with one hand with ease. Then I'll know I've done my job. So what do you say? Would you like to train with the Turks when you return from school? Your father likes the idea, but it's ultimately your decision."

"Of course I-" Rufus caught himself. That was far too enthusiastic a response. "I'll consider your offer."

Veld nodded then turned to leave with Reno trailing along behind him, alongside Rude as they left. Reno wasn't a Turk yet, he was young and bouncing with enthusiasm. He, like Rufus's new puppy, hadn't quite grown into his feet yet, but never the less Reno was part of their pack now, part of that dark nation.

"Dark Nation," he said it out loud. Rufus bent to scratch the pup behind the ears. "What do you think of that name, little guy?" The pup wrapped its tentacle around his arm, and turned it's head to the side. Rufus smiled, "Yeah, I like it too."

The End

**This fic is dedicated to my new puppy, Dark Nation. Pics on my Deviant Art under CameoAmalthea**


	8. Epilogue

**Warning contains spoilers for Before Crisis and makes more sense if you're familiar with that.**

Epilogue

9 Years Later...

May 2003

It was over, years of espionage, years of funneling information and money to terrorists. Rufus Shinra had been captured at Corel after the very group he'd been aiding turned on him. Now he was in Turk custody, locked in a room normally used for interrogation and temporary holding. The room was barren except for a couple chairs and a bed, half the wall taken up by a large mirror.

Rufus paced, and wondered if on the other side of the mirror someone was watching him some animal at the zoo. He stopped when he heard someone at the door and turned to face it.

Reno crashed into the room like an oncoming tidal wave and punched Rufus in the face.

The blow sent Rufus backwards a few feet, and left his nose bloody. Rufus disregarded the pain and wiped away the blood with the handkerchief in his pocket. "You know you'll get into trouble for this," said Rufus. He sat on the bed, and closed his eyes for a moment.

Reno just laughed. "Yeah, I know," he said. "It's easy to get in trouble around here. Unless you're you. If it were up to me, yo, there'd be a bullet in your head right now!"

Rufus said nothing, his breathing remained calm. Unmoved.

"How could you do this?" asked Reno. "I thought we were-"

"We were never friends!" said Rufus. "You knew that was never a possibility. You knew that from the beginning!"

"Yeah, guess you're right," said Reno. "All the same never thought you'd try to sign my death warrant, and theirs. One of ours nearly died because of you! They're in a fucking coma and might never wake up!"

"Because of AVALANCHE," corrected Rufus. "I didn't order them to target that reactor!"

Reno just rolled his eyes. "You seemed pretty comfortable with the situation when you told them to kill us."

The blonde shrugged. "I used what I had. I suspected my father had caught on, and I needed a way out. There was no guarantee he wouldn't kill me, you know? I thought if I joined with AVALANCHE and eliminated those who knew of my betrayal I could continue with my plans for patricide. If I managed to dispose of the old man, well then there would be no one alive to know I'm a traitor and nothing to keep me from claiming my inheritance, my world. It wasn't personal Reno, the only person I wanted to kill was my father."

"And how many people, innocent people, have died because of AVALANCHE, because of you? Because some spoiled brat couldn't wait?" asked Reno. "You were a good person once, yo."

"I was shiny?" scoffed Rufus; he rolled his eyes. However, when he spoke next his voice was dead serious. "You were a good person once Reno. But tell me, how many innocents have you killed at the company's behest? Monsters aren't really in the position to call others of their kind evil, are they? Try washing the blood from your own hands before pointing out the stains on mine."

"I'd never turn on my own!" said Reno. He began to pace the small room.

Rufus chuckled, "What about Veld? He's left, you know. Father won't allow it. You'll be ordered to hunt him down. Tseng's probably getting the order as we speak."

Reno rounded on Rufus. "You told the President!" He grabbed him by the collar and hauled him up. "You-"

"He would have found out eventually," said Rufus. "It's better he learns now, he'd order all your deaths if he thought you were protecting a traitor."

"You're the traitor Rufus," Reno spat, before throwing him to the bed again. The redhead turned to leave, but stopped when Rufus spoke.

"Yes, and because of that my father's just as likely to order my execution," he said. "However, while I doubt he'll be able to catch Veld, he already has me."

"He's not gonna kill you," said Reno. "Don't play victim, it doesn't suit you."

Rufus laughed, "You honestly think he won't?" He got to his feet, and walked to the long mirror. It was in fact a window, mirrored on one side, but Rufus stared at as if he could see beyond his refection. "Veld told me, before he left, that parents care for the well-being of their child. I was never my father's baby, this company was. I threatened that. I left him in a hard spot. If he kills me or arranges my disappearance, whatever tragic accident they inform the press about, then his name dies with me. However, his name's on the company. That's his legacy. He doesn't truly require an heir, as long as Shin-Ra survives to bear his name. So it's a difficult choice. On the one hand I threatened what he holds dearest, and anyone who crosses him or his company must die, on the other, I think his vanity compels him to keep this company in the family, to have a son to pass it to. He's weighing his options." Rufus turned away from the mirror to look at Reno. "I'm not sure which he'll choose." Rufus smirked. "If he does order my death, will you volunteer to take the assignment?"

They were silent for a long time.

At last Reno spoke. "Why did you tell him about Veld?"

"I had to give him something!" snapped Rufus. "A sign of repentance. A sign I'm still useful. Perhaps, it was merely to give him a distraction. Another betrayal to take his mind off of mine. I don't want to die."

"Right, you'd sell us all out to save your own sorry skin," spat Reno.

"I'm not going to apologize for what I did," said Rufus. "It was my life or yours. Kings don't put pawns before themselves."

"So that's all I am to you?" asked Reno.

Rufus looked away again. "When we first met. I thought things had worked out like a fairy tale." He turned and walked towards the bed. "When I saw you with the Turks, it was like you'd found where you belonged, like the ugly chocoboling finding the family he lacked. You were one of them." A smile as Rufus sat down, but in vanished soon enough. "Life isn't like a fairytale though, is it? There aren't happy endings, not for men like us."

"As I recall, you acted like one of us, too."

"Veld insisted I learn how to shoot, and you and I trained together," a ghost of a smile at the memory. "I hung around there even though it wasn't my place."

"I remember," said Reno. "Then you just disappeared."

"I discovered something," said Rufus. "When I was sixteen I hacked into several secure files. I've had a knack for that sort of thing. I'd been meaning to for a while, ever since I'd found out my father was letting that leech Don Corneo grow fat in the slums off the people's blood. I wanted to know the things that went on. I found things, lots of things I shouldn't have. My father ordered my mother's death." Rufus turned to look at Reno. "The order was carried out by the Turks."

Their eyes met. "I...why would-"

Rufus laughed, cold and bitter. "Because of who my mother was," said Rufus. "Everyone loved her, and she loved everyone in return, with smiles and the blush on her cheeks. My father still keeps a painting of her in the pint house. I used to think, foolish child that I was, he kept it because he had loved her. In truth, he loved the painting more than her. He said to me once that the painting looked as if she were alive. He preferred that, close to life but not quite. The painting couldn't blush, but mother-well she blushed and flirted without even trying. There were men who'd smile at her, and she'd smile at them. She'd accept these smiles and gifts of flowers. My father-he'd given her the Shinra name. That should have been enough for her. It wasn't; he got angry, and so he gave the orders and all the smiles stopped."

"Rufus-" Reno began.

"Oh, I understand why he did it," said Rufus. "Father likes things he can buy, objects he could own. I'm certain my mother, beautiful woman that she was, was a trophy for him. However, it turned out he couldn't own her, nor control her. But he could end her, and he did. He had his reputation to uphold, of course. President Shinra, the most powerful man in the world, can't control his own wife? He couldn't have people think that, and sooner or later the tabloids would have published something. My father saw a problem, and had the Turks deal with it. It's what they do, after all."

"I didn't know," said Reno. "I swear, I didn't-"

"No," said Rufus. "That mission was before your time. Tseng knew, of course, and Veld he...I was never close with my father, but with the Turks, I'd almost thought...I should have known. You can't trust anyone, and you're better off if you learn that." A ghost of a smile crossed his face. "I thought it's something you would have known. Yet you act as if my betrayal hurt."

"It did," said Reno. "I wanted to kill you, or beat you to a bloody pulp, and you're the last person I ever thought I'd want to hurt."

"Betrayal cuts deeper than any blade, pierces swifter than any bullet. I know from experience. I guess you could call what I did revenge."

Reno nodded, and Rufus wondered if he'd made it harder for the Turk to hate him. "So kill your dad for what he did to your mom, and take out the Turks for carrying out the order."

"Oh please, the Turks were never a target, you just got in my way. I knew there'd be collateral damage from the get go, there's always a price. I didn't care if the Turks were destroyed, but I didn't want to kill everyone and burn the company to the ground because I miss my mother. I'm not that pathetic or that psychotic. Yes, when I learned what my father had done I decided then and there that I was going to kill him, but it's not the only reason. If anything I did what my father wanted me to."

"What?" asked Reno.

"I was always a disappointment to my father, never good enough, never given a word of praise despite my efforts," spat Rufus. "He thinks I'm a loser, well what better way to prove him wrong than to beat him. To show him that I am worthy to be his sucessor to show him I could bring him and his precious company to it's knees. Now I've lost," Rufus laughed and shook his head, "but maybe not entirely if I manage to escape with my life. Either way, at least I have his attention now."

"Rufus! Do you have any idea how many people you could have killed yo?" asked Reno, once more seeming disgusted. "I don't care about your revenge or your cries for attention, this isn't a game."

"Oh I realize," said Rufus. "Don't mistake me, there was more than this than attacking my father. There was so much more that I'd wanted to do. I was going to remake this company in my own image. I had plans, Reno. Plans for a better future, a better Shinra."

"The road to hell is paved with good intentions," said Reno. "Someone said that, I think. It's not Loveless, is it? Whatever, the point stands. What you did-"

"Was despicable," supplied Rufus.

"Dirty," said Reno.

"That too, I know. But you've done some dirty things yourself. The only difference is where our loyalties lie. Your loyalty is to the Turks, to Shin-Ra. My loyalty is to myself."

"You are Shinra," came a voice. The men turned to see Tseng standing at the door. "Even if you despise your father, you cannot change who you are. You are his son, and the future president of this company. As such, our loyalty is still to you Rufus, or will be one day. If you were anyone else you would be dead for what you did. I'd make sure of it personally. But you're Rufus Shinra. You are our future."

"So I take it my father isn't going to order my death then?" asked Rufus. Despite his calm façade, he'd been expecting the bullet. He also expected Tseng to want him dead for what he'd done. He'd put the Turks in danger and practically sealed Veld's death sentence, if the anyone managed to catch him.

"You are going to remain in our custody indefinitely," said Tseng.

"And what are you going to do to me?" asked Rufus. He'd betrayed Tseng, and put him in the worst position imaginable. Veld had been like a father to Tseng and now Tseng had no choice but to...

Rufus didn't want to think about what Tseng would do to him. He hated that it had come to this. Tseng had watched over Rufus since the young Vice President was just a child. He'd been five or so when he'd met the Turk, then just a teenager. Veld had told Rufus that Tseng was assigned specifically to him. Tseng had been one of the best even early on, but perhaps Veld had chosen him to look after Rufus for another reason. Tseng was young for a Turk, so he would be there with Rufus all his life. Maybe Veld wanted to foster a strong relationship between the two of them.

Any seeds Veld had sown were ruined when Rufus discovered the truth about his mother's death. After that, he'd ordered the Turks to stay away from him. An order they'd obeyed whenever possible. The Turks had breached his trust, and broken whatever heart Rufus had left to give them. Because Rufus had had plans that he wouldn't the Turks get in the way of. Those plans had now made the Turks his enemies.

"We're going to look after you," said Tseng.

"What?" asked Rufus. Tseng sounded too calm. He should be out for blood.

"Don't get me wrong. You will be punished: severely," said Tseng. "But not because I want to get back at you. There's been enough revenge plays. I understand your motives. The reasons you did all you did. Don't think that you're forgiven, or that we trust you. You'll be our prisoner, but one day we'll be your Turks. So yes, we're going to look after you."

"You aren't angry?" asked Rufus. He'd expected Tseng to want to tear him apart as much as Reno had.

"Angry? I'm seething," said Tseng. "But Veld taught me that part of my job is keeping my emotions in check. And right now I need you to understand we aren't your enemies. You will be punished, but it won't be because we hate you. It will be because you are getting what you deserve. That is what you must accept. Part of looking out for someone is ensuring that they learn from their mistakes."

The words struck Rufus, and drew his mind back to another place, another time. To when he and Reno were different people. Rufus looked to the red head. "What about you, Reno?" asked Rufus. "Do you still want to look after me?"

Reno looked long and hard at Rufus. "Honestly, I wouldn't mind hitting you again and not stopping until you're good and bloody," said Reno. "But the thing is. I always sort of saw you as one of us. Like back in the old days when you used to hang around, and just, the way you are. You're one of our kind, and like I said, I don't turn on my own. If you want me to forgive you, well then you're going to have to make up for this. But I'll give you a chance, yo."

"Thank you," said Rufus.

The redhead shrugged again. "Never figured you as one to care what I thought."

No, Rufus Shinra wasn't one to care what anyone thought, or at least that's what he liked to believe. Except their words made him feel almost loved. That after everything they'd still be by his side.

"Well then," said Rufus. "I'll find a way to make things up to you, one day. Then maybe you'll forgive me." It was the closest Rufus could come to saying he was sorry. "As long as you're on my side, I'll be on yours." It felt good to have someone on his side. He hadn't even realized how isolated he'd been until that moment.

"I hope one day I'll be able to believe that," said Tseng. "For now, I'll take that as an apology."

**Note: So this was originally written as an epilogue for this fic but I didn't include it because I wanted to use part of it for another fic "Pedigree" however, I originally intended for this to be read directly after this fic, and so I'm putting it back.**


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